


We Swayed to the Music

by amschuh



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Ben and Poe are related, F/M, Poe Dameron Hurts So Prettily, Rey plays the cello, Rockstar Ben Solo, Rockstar Poe Dameron
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:06:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24929659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amschuh/pseuds/amschuh
Summary: Music is Rey's life, it's all she's ever wanted to do. So when the opportunity comes to join a band, she jumps at the chance. Especially when she finds out that an old friend is the lead singer.There's just one rule: no dating between members. The only problem? Poe wants her. But she wants someone else. Someone she should have recognized all along. Ben.Ben, who absolutely hates her.Can the three of them make this work? Or will hearts be broken in the end?
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 11
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my very first fic and I'm so nervous. It's inspired by a favorite book of mine and I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> I'm writing as I go, so I'll update when I can. But I make no promises!

“Where did you get that?” Rey ask Kaydel as she passes a bottle of vodka to Rose.

“I swiped it from my Dad,” Kaydel explains as she takes a swig and hands it to her. Rey tips the bottle back and almost chokes as the clear liquid burns her throat and makes her eyes water. “Holy shit,” She splutters. “That is bad.” 

“Well it’s just a little liquid courage. We need to go in there and act like we belong,” Kaydel explains. 

“Yeah, don’t you want to see Poe playing in his band?” teases Rose, who knows Rey's had a crush on him since the first moment she saw him in high school. 

She wouldn’t say they were friends. She’d just say that he tolerated her. He used to call her his adoring fan. Although, Rey thinks he liked the fact that while he played his guitar and sang, she would sometimes join in with her cello. He wouldn’t let anyone else do that – just her. So it made her feel a little special. But she hasn’t seen him since he graduated. 

They’re crashing a college party tonight in the city, having heard about it from Kaydel’s older sister. It’ll be the last time she gets to see Poe before she goes to Juliard. Not that it will matter. Rey doubts he’ll even notice her.

“Of course I want to see him. But I don’t really know if he’ll want me there. I haven’t spoken to him in over a year,” she replies. 

“You have a vagina right? And boobs” asks Jessika, in her usual crass way. “Of course he’ll want you there. With another swig from the bottle, she motions them forward and they walk up to the door.

Once they get in, there are so many people that it feels suffocating. But at least no one will notice that they're underage.

“There he is,” Rose whispers in Rey's ear, nudging her with her elbow. She looks across the room, and sees Poe setting up with the band on a makeshift stage. Her heart does great big thumps against her ribcage as she watches him, his long toned arms showing corded muscle where his sleeves are rolled up. 

His head tilts forward as he focuses on the guitar in his hands. That’s what she's always loved about him – how important he finds his music. There’s a whole room of people around him, drinking and having a great time. There’s even people trying to get his attention, but he’s so focused on getting ready that he pays them no mind at all. “Amazing,” Rey say under her breath, feeling completely in awe. “What is?” Rose asks, just as this guy comes to stand in front of them with a tub full of various mixed drinks. “Lucky dip?” he asks, offering them a drink. “Sure,” they both say together, looking in the tub for a flavor they might like. Rey pulls out this red cranberry mix and Rose manages to get passionfruit, which is her favorite. 

The guy moves off, offering the drinks to others as he goes along. “You wanna trade,” Rose asks her, holding out the unopened bottle. She smiles gratefully, and switch drinks with her, loving that she knows her so well. Rey twists off the cap and takes a mouthful, grimacing a little. “It’s flat,” she complain. 

“You want to switch back? Mine’s fine,” Rose asks. 

“No, don’t worry about it. I’ll just drink it,” Rey shrug, throwing the bottle back and taking a long drink. It’s really humid with only a light breeze blowing to cool them all down. 

“Rey?” she hear from behind her. Turning around, she find herself face to face with an old friend. “Kylo!” Rey squeals, jumping up to wrap her arms around his neck and hug him tightly. 

“Oh my goodness, I’ve missed you so much. Still rocking the Emo look see,” she grins, holding onto his arm as she speaks to him. Kylo is a friend from high school. He was a couple of years ahead of her, but they played together in the music room.

Rey mainly plays the cello, because she's always loved it. But with Kylo, she used to sit with him and play the piano as well while they worked through different pieces of music. It was always a lot of fun, and she loved spending time with him. Truthfully, he was her secret crush. 

You know that one guy you really like, but you’re afraid to tell your friends because they’ll think you’re crazy? Yeah. That’s Kylo. To the rest of the school, he was considered a bit of a freak with his jet black hair and eyeliner. But she's always thought him to be beautiful. She always enjoyed how quiet and reserved he was, despite his obvious talents. 

He was such a contrast to Poe who was always so boisterous and sure of himself. “How have you been?” he asks, his dark eyes concentrated only on her, making her feel like the only girl in the world. 

“Busy with school. I got into Julliard,” Rey tells him smiling, her eyes raking over him from head to toe, drinking him in. 

“I heard,” he nods. “Congratulations,” he smiles, producing perfect white teeth, and a slight crinkle around his eyes. “What are you doing here tonight? Are you in school?” she asks. 

“No. School's not really my thing. I travelled for a year and then came back home. I’m playing with the band tonight. On keyboards,” he states, nodding toward the stage. “I’d better go. Maybe we can hang after the show? Come and find me.” 

“I’d love that,” she calls after him, pleased when he takes a moment to turn back and smile at her. 

“Oh wow. Kylo is looking mighty fine from this angle,” Rose points out as they watch him walk away.

“Mmmhmm,” Rey agrees, tilting her head as if it will give her a better angle. 

“What about Poe?” Rose murmurs next to her'ear. “I thought you were here for him.” 

“Who?” Rey asks, looking at her but not hearing what she’s saying. She's still too busy watching Kylo as he climbs up on the stage. Seeing him again has reminded her how much she loved spending time with him. How much she liked him. While Rey does like Poe, she knows that he’s a player. Nothing will ever come of spending the night with Poe. But with Kylo… well, he’s different. Rey tips her drink back, draining its contents before looking around for something to put the empty bottle in. 

It’s at that moment that the band starts up, playing a cover of Imagine Dragons Radioactive. Jessika and Kaydel come rushing over, holding more vodka mixes above their heads as they howl out their excitement and sway to the music. 

“Just look at him up there,” Jessika groans, as she hands me a fresh bottle. “He’s like a god on stage.” 

“Yeah he is,” Rey agrees, but she's not looking at the same band member Jess is. It’s like he’s faded into the ether. She twists the cap off the new vodka mix and gulp a mouthful of its contents, feeling glad that this time the liquid is fizzy – even though it’s an orange flavored one. They do as girls do at parties and start to dance to the music. 

That’s the last thing Rey remembers until she wakes up the next morning and becomes a walking cliché. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a housewarming party, Rey runs into some old "friends", and she makes some decisions about her life.
> 
> We get a little more insight into what happened that night and we might be getting ready to see the boys soon!

“Hello,” Rey sings out the moment the door opens, and she sees Rose. 

“Oh you’re here. Fantastic,” she says as she pulls me inside and closes the door “I still need to get ready for the party. Can you keep an eye on things in here while I run upstairs?” 

“Absolutely,” she smiles and listens as Rose explains what food she currently has cooking and what still needs to be done. Rey walks slowly around the kitchen and checks on all the food that is already prepared and laid out on trays. The oven timer is switched on to tell her when to check the food that’s in there. 

So Rey ventures outside for a moment to where Finn is filling coolers with ice and shoving different drinks inside.

"How many people are you expecting today Finn,” she asks out of curiosity. This appears to be a bit more than a housewarming party. 

“Oh god, I think there’s a good fifty coming.” 

Her mouth drops open. “Fifty? How do you guys even know that many people?"

"Well, a lot of people from my office are coming. And Rose invited a few of the people from her parenting classes."

Rose and Finn were currently expecting their first baby and Rose was all about being prepared. She took all the classes she could right now.

A beeping sounds from inside the house, so she leaves Finn to it. She trots inside and switches the timer off, before opening the oven door, allowing the cheesy aroma of the pastries to burst full force into the air, filling her nose. Her stomach growls and her mouth waters. She hasn’t eaten all day.

She basically woke up, got ready, and came here. Rey slides her hands into a pair of oven gloves and takes hold of the tray of pastries. She has to resist the urge to sneak a few. But she's saved when Finn comes to relieve her of her duties, so Rey decides to wander the house. She helped them move in last month, so it's nothing she hasn't seen before. There's one room in particular she wants to see again though.

This house came with a piano, which is hilarious because neither Finn nor Rose are musically inclined. Though she's hoping their baby will be, take after their Auntie Rey. For now the piano sits untouched. Just looking at it makes her heart hurt, music was such a big part of her life once upon a time.

All her life, she dreamt of a music career. But somewhere along the way, she altered her path. Looking back now, she wonders why she gave up. She thinks it just stopped being fun. Now she works at a popular nightclub in the city.. It’s not a career option. For a long time, she's been ignoring the rest of her life and what she wants to do with it. But it’s time to figure something out. Everyone around her is getting married and having kids. They’re having careers. She feels like she's just floating through life, waiting for something to happen. She just has no idea what.

Eventually, other people start to arrive and Rey is introduced to just about everyone. She swears she must be the only single person there. She tries to remember as many names as she can, but after a while she doesn't even bother. She spots Rose across the yard and makes her way over to see if there’s anything she needs her to do. 

She's so focused that she doesn't even notice when someone is trying to get her attention until they’re standing right in front of her. 

“Rey? Oh my god. I haven’t seen you since that party,” Jessika says, wrapping her arms around Rey in an overly friendly gesture. She's had zero contact with her since the end of high school and that party. She shudders every time she thinks about it. It was the party that sparked the story about her getting trashed and sleeping with two different guys in the same night.

Before she’d even woken the story was already in circulation. People who weren’t even at the party were texting her to see if it was true. Needless to say, she was pretty pissed off with her so-called friends. She knew it wasn’t Rose who told everyone - she would never do that to her. So, it had to be Jessika or Kaydel?

“What have you been up to” she asks, touching my arm lightly as she tilts her head.

She opens her mouth to answer, but Jess is not interested. She simply opens her brown eyes wide and surges forward with her own news. “I can’t believe how much has happened since we last saw each other. And then she proceed to spill the beans on everyone we went to high school with while Kaydel nods along beside her.

"God I can't believe this," Jessika is saying just as Rey tunes back into the conversation. "Us three are like the only single people here. All the guys are taken."

"Well," Rey says with a shrug, "it's mostly people who are expecting or already have kids and some people from Finn's office. And All those guys are older."

“Still, there’s got to be something for the single girls to do besides drink,” she replies. “Speaking of fun and hot guys, you should come out with us later. We’re going to see a band that we think you’ll like,” Jess tells me, her eyes wide with excitement. 

“Will she,” asks Kaydel.

“Yes! You have to come. You will die when you see who’s playing!” 

“Why? Who is it?” Rey asks, her interest now piqued. 

“Just meet us at Scooter's at eight o’clock. We’ll wait out front for you,” Kaydel says.

She hears Rose calling her. “I need to go,” she tells them. 

“OK. See you later then,” Jessika says. “Just promise us you’ll come,” Kaydel presses as she turns to leave. 

“I’ll be there,” she says, even though she's not sure she will. Rey makes her way back into the house and spends the rest of the party chatting with random people while avoiding answering the countless questions about her personal life. 

She loves Rose and Finn. But she feels like she's the only single person left sometimes, and she feels really left out right now . By the time the party is over, she's had enough. Going out to see a band with Jessika and Kaydel seems like the perfect night. She's been ignoring her life for too long. Time to go and have some fun again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Things will be heating up very soon!
> 
> Find me on Twitter to chat!
> 
> twitter.com/romancebookbing


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey sees Poe again. And someone else she can't quite place. Who is the mystery man???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've updated this fic to 3rd person. So much better that way!

The outfit she's wearing is more family friendly than night club, so Rey goes home to get changed into something less comfortable, but way cuter. After taking a quick shower, she chooses a sequined dark green dress that hits about mid-thigh, a pair of low slung black heels, her black leather jacket, and she suddenly feels like her 22 year old self.

She looks in the mirror to fix her short brown hair and runs a brush through it. She also darkens her makeup slightly, running the eyeliner pencil around her brown eyes, she thinks about the last time she hung out with these girls. Maybe this is a bad idea, she thinks to herself, studying her reflection as she decides what to do.

Eventually she continues putting her makeup on, telling herself that she's older now and hasn’t been that stupid since that night. Rey is sure she’ll be fine. Calling an Uber, she arrives at the club to find them both waiting out front for her, wearing tiny scraps of material that make her own dress look modest in comparison. 

“You came,” Jessika says the moment Rey steps onto the curb. “Kaydel tried to tell me you wouldn’t show.” 

“Oh shut up Jess. I just thought she didn’t seem that interested. I didn’t say we should go inside without waiting.” “Don’t worry about it. I'm sure it's going to be great," Rey says quickly.

“Well, you’re going to be glad you came. Check out the poster,” Jessika says, drawing her attention to the poster advertising the band playing tonight. Rey shakes her head as she reads the name for the headliner. "I've never heard of them."

“We’re here to see the reporting band actually,” she points out. 

Rey looks closer and sees that the opening act is a band called ‘Silver Stone’. 

“I have no idea who they are either,” she says, suddenly feeling very out of touch with the local music scene despite the fact she works in a bar. 

“Oh, you will,” Kaydel says as she pulls her through the doors. They make their way inside and grab a drink from the bar while they wait for the show to start. 

“So what kind of band are they,” she asks Jess. 

“Oh they’re kind of indie folk rock – very cool. You’ll love them.” 

As the tech hand finishes the on stage sound check, the lights start to dim, and they make their way out to the floor, pushing their way through the crowd until they're right up against the stage. The girls insist that it’s the only place to be, and Rey wonders if they’re going to get a cramp in their necks from being so close. It’s not long before the band walks onto the stage and the crowd whoops as they watch them move around, getting themselves into position and double checking their instruments. 

“Thank you all for coming early to see us.” The smooth voice of the band’s front man filters through the speakers as the lights are trained on the stage. His dark brown hair has fallen forward and covers most of his face. Although, his voice sounds so familiar to her. 

And then their first song starts. He flicks his head back as he starts to play his guitar and she can finally see his face.

“Poe,” she breathes out, staring up at him as he starts singing in that beautiful smooth voice of his. 

“And Ben,” Kaydel informs her, indicating the drummer. “His cousin. Remember him?” 

“No, should I,” Rey yells at her over the music, her eyes wide as they focus on the man before her. 

“He went to school with us” she replies, scrunching up her face.

Rey doesn't know whether she feels embarrassed or happy that she's seeing Poe again. He’s exactly the same. The same boyish good looks, the same dimples when he smiles. She feels instantly transported back to high school watching him. And instantly transported back to the morning after they… Oh god.

She takes a step back and tries to melt into the crowd, but it’s too thick, and she's shoved forward, pressed firmly up against the stage. Right at Poe's feet.

“What did you think?” Kaydel calls over the crowd as the came leaves the stage. “They were great,” Rey replies. 

“They’re going to be big I think. Poe's always been amazing,” Jess puts in. 

She has to agree. Poe was that guy at school who everyone knew. They all went to the same arts school. It was filled with aspiring actors, dancers and musicians. The real world isn’t as nurturing as that school was, so most of us ended up in regular jobs.

But there were a handful of people that you just knew were going to be someone. Poe was one of them. She can’t help but sigh as she thinks of him back then, sitting outside at lunch time with his guitar and a slew of girls around him. She was one of those girls.

The difference between her and most of those girls though, was that she could play by ear, and quickly learned his songs. She remembers the look on his face the first day that she pulled out her cello and joined in. 

They became whatever his version was of friends that day. But she always wanted more from him. She had a massive crush on him, but he always seemed to be attached to some other pretty girl. And she didn’t want to be the girl he slept, so nothing happened.

Eventually though, she went to that party. She doesn’t remember drinking much that night, so she figures one of the drinks must have been spiked, because when she woke up the next morning she was in bed with Marcus.

She couldn’t remember how she got there. She was so mortified, that she got out of bed and tried to find her clothes as fast as she could. Poe woke up and saw her there. From the way his brow creased when their eyes met, I knew what he would say. 

“Listen, about last night. I…” he started, looking down as if he was embarrassed. Rey didn’t want to hear the rejection, so she cut him off as she got dressed. 

“Don’t worry about it. We’re cool,” she told him, as she quickly turned away and left the room. When she switched on her phone, she had all of these photo messages of her throwing herself at Kylo.

She could only imagine what he must have thought of her. Suddenly, it was going around that she had slept with two guys on the same night. She tried to call Kylo, to tell him that she couldn’t even remember what happened. But he didn’t answer, and he didn’t call her back. And why would he? 

He must’ve thought she was a total slut. Everybody else did. After that, she moved on with her life. The next week, she moved to the city, went to Juilliard. Eventually though Rey stopped caring, dropped out, and started bartending. She has no idea what she's supposed to be doing with her life. 

“Come on. We’re going backstage,” Jessika says snapping Rey back to the present. 

“Oh, I don’t think so. It’s too embarrassing. I don’t want to see Poe again,” Rey whines. 

“He probably won't even remember you,” Kaydel says.

“It’s still embarrassing. Besides, I don't even play anymore. I've done nothing with my life.” 

“So what Rey. Most of us don't have anything to do with music anymore.” 

Back stage is a series of narrow passageways, littered with various people who obviously have something to do with either of the bands. I hear the music start up again as the headlining band takes the stage and the crowd roars. 

Jess pulls Rey along behind her like she’s worried that she's going to get lost. Eventually, they make it to a room with the band’s name on a piece of paper and push their way through. The room is so small that everyone is squished against each other. 

“Rey,” Poe says, as he stands right in front of her. He’s dressed in a pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt that stretches across his chest but loosely around his waist. He’s got that V shape thing going on. “Poe,” she nods. What else is she supposed to say? – Hi Poe, how have you been since the night that we had sex and I don't remember it? 

“It’s been a long time. I heard you got into Juilliard,” he says as he looks at her. “Yeah. Well. That didn’t really work out,” she says, looking around the room as she scratches a non-existent itch on the back of her head, thinking of a way to change the subject. 

"You guys were great. I didn't realize you were so famous.” 

He places his hand on his heart and scrunches up his face in mock pain. “Oh, you injure me. You mean you haven’t been following my career?”

Rey can’t help but laugh, even though this whole thing feels very awkward. She wants to relax, to talk to him easily like before that night. 

“No. Should I have been,” she asks. 

“Of course not,” he smiles, softening his voice. “But, I’m glad you liked the show.” “I did, really.” They stand there, just looking at each other for a minute. A grin pulls up at the corner of his mouth, and Rey wonders if he’s thinking about the last time he saw her. It’s hard enough being polite to someone you’ve slept with before, but the fact that she doesn't remember it and he does, makes her feel uncomfortable. 

“You know, the band's missing something though,” he says after a while. 

“Oh? What’s that?” 

“Strings," he says with a smirk.

She's not entirely sure what he’s getting at, although she has a pretty good idea. “Do you still play,” he asks. 

“Not really. I guess it just became too much about being perfect. I wasn't having fun anymore.” 

“It was always fun for me,” he says, his voice low and intimate as he leans in closer. 

Her cheeks heat as she drops her face and moves back slightly. 

“Poe,” another male voice interrupts. Rey looks up and is met with a pair of deep brown eyes. Her heart starts to beat faster at the intensity of his gaze. He takes her breath away and she feels like she knows him. He’s taller than Poe and he just looks bigger. He's strong and lean, with broad shoulders.

His pale face is dotted with beauty marks, it gives him a soft look despite the harsh angles of his nose and jaw. But his lips? They look like they're waiting to be kissed. And his dark black hair looks softer than hers.

“Are you going to introduce me to your friend,” he asks. He’s so familiar to her. There’s something about him that’s tugging at her memory. 

Poe’s brow creases slightly. “Seriously? You need an introduction?” 

“I do,” he says, smiling in a way that doesn’t meet his eyes. Suddenly, Rey is on edge. 

Poe rolls his eyes before making the introductions. “Ben, this is Rey – you probably remember her from school. Rey, this is Ben, my cousin. You should also remember him from school.” 

“Hi,” she says, holding out her hand to shake his, all the while continuing to search her memory for how she knows him. 

“Can’t say I do remember her from school,” Ben says, not bothering to take her hand. 

Relief floods her as her hand flies back to her chest. “Thank goodness, I was really worried because I can’t remember you either,” she smiles, attempting to be friendly. 

“I mean, you look familiar. But I can’t remember anything specific." 

He doesn’t seem to like her much, and she wonders what his deal is. His lips curve into a thin smile as he turns to Poe. “So what are we talking about?” 

“I was just inviting Rey to come and play with us next week on her cello. I think it would sound great.” 

Ben grunts, as he moves away from us and starts talking with someone else. “Ignore him, he's always cranky.”

She can’t help but laugh at that. 

“Listen, I have to go, but I’m really glad to see you again. And I meant what I said. I want you to come and play with us next week.” He pulls out a scrap of paper and a pen and writes something down, handing it to her. It's an address. 

“It was great seeing you again Rey. I’ve missed you,” he tells her, lightly touching her arm as he steps away. Having him close to her is confusing, and she's fighting to stay grounded. Although, when she lookr over her shoulder and sees him already with a leggy blonde on his arm, she remembers why she stayed away from him before, except for that one night.

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on Twitter if you ever want to chat romance books and Reylo!
> 
> twitter.com/romancebookbing


End file.
